☼ Hello Everyone ☼

Scaling Mount Timbak was really such a great experience! Meeting with new folks, be inspired by the locals, sharing insights and laughing over silly jokes with the Conqueror Outdoor Club it was indeed a meaningful and fun experience that I will treasure forever.

Glad our CAGBALETE ISLAND Trip was a success. Thanks to Ms. Tess of Villa Cleofas who answered all of my inquiries and to Josiah Sicad of Lakas Trip. I'm glad that I stumbled upon his blog for this made our journey possible in the cheapest way.

We face a lot of challenges everyday of our lives. Some are easy to handle while some may seem too much for us to take. And as I gradually became fond of climbing lately I realized that Life is.. Life is also a mountain to climb!

I was very sincere in seeking God. But I also saw the reality that my religiosity in church did not carry over to my life at home. I got angry at my nieces and pinched them whenever they touched my things, gave my mom, my ate, a weeks/ or month of silent treatment in rebellion to their strictness, spent hours devouring novels and giving way to my imaginations. I was selfish and self-centered.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Our mother earth needs saving. Different environmental campaign are seen in the news, radio, on print ads, and now if you noticed some companies are even trying to cut down by sending us our monthly bills through our account online.

Recently, an anti-littering and intensified waste segregation campaign was launched in Pasig City, "Pasig Love Ko". This is to help lessen the volume of waste that will be accumulated and dumped into garbage disposal sites. It is important to segregate our waste since Christmas and New Year's Eve are approaching surely the volume of waste usually increases. Glad that our Mayor, Honorable Bobby Eusebio intensified the Pasig City love ko Campaign. Where they have launched a project dubbed "Pa Zero" or "Bukod-Bukod na Basura Tungo sa Zero na Basura" this is also to help encourage us, pasigueños to segregate our waste and re-cycle re-usable materials

The project was initially launched in San Jose, Bagong Katipunan, Sta. Rosa, Sumilang, Santolan, and Kapasigan. We should immediately start learning how to segregate and recycle some of our waste not just in accordance of the "No segregation, no collection of trash" advocacy. But also, on our own little way we can do our share of helping the earth.

Friday, December 10, 2010

I used to work on a printing and publishing company where conversations on just about anything abound. We mixed show business, fashion, street tales, movies, mall wide sales, or the latest funny stories we have heard. And the jokes and stories we laughed at were often filled with sexual innuendos.

Even after I became a Christian, I enjoyed listening and laughing to this kind of humor simply because I thought it as funny. I also had some of these jokes and stories up my sleeve, ready to be rolled down when the opportunity presented itself. I also used some expressions easily thrown about in the office, which seemed harmless to me, but were actually cuss words.
Then in one particular meeting, my Christian friend took up Ephesians 4:29, my first encounter with the passage. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths…” to illustrate his resolve on the matter this friend of mine shared that he refuses to join in whenever his male colleagues exchange lewd jokes and that he never laughs at any of them.

I was stunned. Here was a man who kept his mind and mouth free from indecent talk, while here I was, a woman actively contributing to the unwholesome discussions going around in our office. I was so ashamed by the revelation that I resolved never to engage in or enjoy such talks from them on. By the ways, unwholesome talk does not only include lewd jokes, but also gossip, swearing and useless expressions.

But Ephesians 4:29 doesn’t end there. Inversely, we are also told that we should say only the things that will bless other people, such as words of comfort, encouragement, or appreciation. “… but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit whose who listen.”

The way this verse has changed me has been a wonderful, continuing journey. To this day, I try as best as I could to live out this second part of the verse (as this doesn’t come naturally to me) And God continually convicts me If my conversations don’t please Him. More so, the verse has not only changed my attitude, it has also changed people around me -- or at least it seems so.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

One of the most memorable night with my small group. Last September 23 we had this gathering called "Victory Group Dress Night Out". We have this all-girls-night-out were all of us "Must Wear Dresses".

We dine at the Won Ton, Promenade and went to the World Music Room Family KTV, which is a walking-distance from the resto. It's one of the best Karaoke eve we had.. I can still remember we only spend less than 1,400 pesos for the food and the place and the videoke, all-in-all. Since we availed of their promo price and had a 50% off on our room.

Unlike most family KTV bars frequented by same-age groups, World Music Room is both a family and a corporate venue. It offers restful ambiance, and good KTV entertainment. The establishment has 20 function rooms, each one equipped with the latest audio/video technology. Be-pro sound systems, LCD and plasma TV's and comfortable seating to ensure luxurious, relaxing moments inside each room. Eleven (11) rooms on the ground floor can seat 5-12 pax each; while those on the second floor has nine (9) rooms can accommodate as much as 50-60 pax.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

This grounding techniques was shared by a therapist whose happened to be my friend's cousin. According to her, its one of the technique that they apply to their patient. This helps the patient to bring them out of a flashback. So I assumed that this technique is also good when your suddenly triggered, scared, or I must say could be a help to put someone back into their body.

The only 'rules' is to go as quickly as possible and to keep track of the countdown on your fingers. It can be done anywhere, you can talk out loud or say it in your head. You can even do to this exercise on the computer.

Counting from 5 - 1

I See - Name 5 things that you see

I Hear - Name 5 things that you hear (if a room is quiet you can also make some noises like clapping your hands)

I Feel - Name 5 sensations in your body (not your feelings), or touching things around you and say how they feel.

Monday, April 26, 2010

I'm getting a bit bored here at home so instead of lying in bed staring at the ceiling, doing nothing, I've decided to come up with a blog about "Larong Kalye" (street games). Reminiscing the good old days, you know!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

What I love in Calaguas Island is its shimmering grains of powder-white sand and its awesome turquoise waters. No doubt, these make me want to go back again!

It was January 2010 when a friend of mine invites me for a Vacay in their hometown in Bicol. He just visits the place once in a while so he asked my opinion for a good beach bumming place. There are a lot of beautiful resorts and beaches that showed up on google, but the indescribable beauty of Calaguas Island caught my attention. February 2010, we are four in the group who embarked on our Calaguas Island trip.

We left Manila at 3pm and it took us a 9-hour van ride to reach Guinacutan. Guinacutan is one of the barangay in municipality of Vinzons, province of Camarines Norte. We decided to sleep over here at my friend's Aunt's house and head out to the island the next morning.

We woke up at 6'oclock, had a quick coffee and went straight to the beach. At first, my friend's relatives, warned us not to go to Calaguas, they're worried about us since we're not familiar with the place and that something not good may happen to us. Beside, the two hours boat ride quite unsafe for us, they thought, since all of us four are not good swimmers, plus we don't know anyone in the island. They also said that most of the locals in the island are "mambabarang"(necromancer), "manlalason" (poisoners) and even they didn't dare to go at once. These things somehow frightened us but our conviction to see the island is much stronger that we really want to continue on our journey. And as one's quoted,

"If you don't do it, you'll never know what would have happened if you had done it"'.

It was a long explanation before we finally got the relatives’ approval ^^. So, Vámonos! It took us 30 minutes for a trike ride from Guinacutan to Vinzons where we’re going to rent a boat going to the island. Thanks to our buddy who speaks & understands "bisaya" he was lucky to bargained the bigger fishing boat for only P2,500.00 for a 2-way ride.

It was a smooth ride, the waters were calm even when we reached the mid-part of the ocean, the waves are also not that high. Imagine us sailing, I dunno how to swim, and we're not wearing life jackets at all. Ayt! Were almost in the middle of ocean yet we haven't seen a land, and its almost more than an hour past! It was really, scary! More bigger waves greeted us 40 minutes before we arrived on the mainland. Finally after the 2 hours boat ride, we’ve had the view of the mainland, thank God! We are so excited that we want to jump out of the boat. ^^ The island has given us instant relief and peace after that scary boat ride.

Here are some of my snapshots from my old Exilim 7.2 Megapixel point & shoot cam, not bad! :p (click to enlarge)

How to Go:

We went there via private van, but lemme share you how to get to Calaguas Island from Manila by public transport.

I saw this instructions from journeyingjames and I regret I didn't see this one before. I will surely follow this once I get back to Calaguas.

From Manila:
> Manila - Get off at Talobatib or Labo
> From Talobatib or Labo, take the bus going to Paracale (Php 35, 1 hour ride)
> From Paracale look for the fish port and ask around the boat trip going to Brgy. Mangcawayan (Calaguas).
> Take the passenger boat to Calaguas (Php100, 2-3 hours).
You will get off at Bgry. Mangcawayan (barrio), you can then walk towards Mahabang Buhangin.

From Naga:
> Take the van going to Daet (Php 188, 2 1/2 hours)
> From Daet take the tricycle to vans/bus going to Paracale (Php 50, 1 hour)
> From Paracale look for the fish port and ask around the boat trip going to Brgy. Mangcawayan (Calaguas).
> Take the passenger boat to Calaguas (Php100, 2-3 hours).
You will get off at Bgry. Mangcawayan (barrio), you can then walk towards Mahabang Buhangin.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

And yes! the past few years has been an amazing year full of wonderful memories and blessings. Twenty four is a year of learning and growing. I have learned to love myself as God has loved me all these years.^^

This little girl is also all grown up now. And... it's so weird to think I'm a quarter century old =( geezz....

Oh well... (smile with delight) I am just so grateful. Perhaps its because I know that there is so much love and gratitude within and all around me. :)

I prayed for another wonderful.. pruning and learning years ahead! cheers!

And thank you Lord for this precious, very precious gift. My one life :)